Oops! Twins?
by AndreaAtlyss
Summary: In an AU Chummy forgets to tell Peter that she's a twin and leaves him a little shaken! *Reviews Appreciated!* (NOW COMPLETE)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: ****Because... Well it's FanFic land and Anything goes! Have fun with this AU story! **

"Peter Dearest, we have an extra guest for dinner, one's sister is in town." Chummy greeted, walking through the doorway.

"Lovely! I'll be delighted to meet her." Peter replied, taking a drink of his tea.

"We are having Irish stew and mash." She said, with a cheeky grin.

"You must really love me." He chuckled, stepping up to pull her into a kiss, that is until Timothy came through the door. Timothy was griping under his breath and slammed the front door, only seconds went by until Shelagh came in heading straight up the stairs. "TIMOTHY, HERE NOW!" She bellowed.

"Uh, oh." Chummy said, in a hushed tone.

"She may be small, but man is she scary." Peter whispered, with a slight look of horror on his face. Patrick came home in only minutes after, following his son and letting the door slam shut. "Timothy!" Patrick yelled as stomped up the stairs, mumbling under his breath.

"I wonder what he did?" Peter said, turning his brow and shrugging his shoulders.

"I don't know, but whatever it was, those two are going to need a cuppa. Possibly spiked!" She chuckled, and the two headed to the kitchen. She poured the hot water into the four cups and added the tea bags, not knowing that Peter had snuck up behind her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and tickled her ribs, causing an unladylike squeal to emerge.

"Peter!" She said through laughter. "Stop, St...op!" She tried to talk, but was taken over in a fit of giggles.

"Make me!" He said, tickling her harder and faster.

The two quickly stopped when there was a knock on the door frame, there stood Shelagh and Patrick trying not to laugh.

"You two have a room right there!" Shelagh said, in a sarcastic tone and pointed to their bedroom door. Peter flipped around and Chummy quickly pulled down and straightened her dress.

"Sorry…" Chummy said, looking at her feet and smiling.

"No need, only joking chums!" Patrick quipped, as the two sat at the table.

Peter joined them and Chummy sat the cups of tea on the table, and took her seat up too.

"So what did the lad do?" Peter hesitantly asked.

"He got mad and poured his fizz on Mr. Whittaker!" Shelagh's tone turned harsh, and her brow turned to.

"Oh, Dear! How awful!" Chummy sighed, taking a sip of her tea.

"Yes, feel free to give him all the extra chores too!" Patrick added.

"I may take you up on that, we have dinner guests. My sister is in town." Chummy said, standing up and clearing the table.

"Oh, how lovely!" Shelagh quickly said, helping her with the dishes.

The men retired for a nap in the sitting room and the women began cleaning and cooking.

Peter and Patrick had taken to prams and went to pick up the children from Nursery just moments before the Bates arrived.

Chummy opened the door to find the family of four, wide with smiles.

"Isabella!" Chummy said, almost in tears.

"Camilla!" Isabella said, taking her into a hug.

"Come in! Please. Goodness, why didn't you tell me you were expecting!" Chummy's eyes widened in shock.

"So I could see that look on your face!" She replied, with a chuckle.

"Oh, sister Dear, You haven't changed at all!" Chummy said, she introduced her to Shelagh and quickly dismissed herself to change her outfit.

Peter and Patrick had gotten back with the children and put them in the playpen, Patrick introduced himself to Paul and Sat on the settee with Shelagh. Peter walked into the kitchen to see his wife faced away from him, washing her hands.

"That's a beautiful dress on you." He said, before walking up behind her.

"Thank you, it's new." She replied, thinking it was Paul.

Peter walked up and put his hands on her hips giving them a squeeze, and pressing a kiss in between her shoulders. Camilla that perfume is heavenly! He said, in a slow, deep voice as he pulled her close.

"UNHAND ME!" She yelled, Slapping his hands in utter shock.

"Camilla! Ahhh!" He screamed, seeing his wife with a very swollen belly.

Chummy was almost at the bottom of the stairs, "Oh, no!" she said, looking at Shelagh with horror in her eyes.

"PETER, NO!" She yelled, as she ran into the kitchen.

"Peter, did I mention that I have an Identical twin!" She lowered her head and everyone but Peter and herself started laughing.

"No, Dear you didn't. Oh my, I am so sorry." Peter said, his face was burning and he wanted nothing more than to crawl in a hole and die.

"Dear, where is my whiskey?" Peter continued, to his wife.

"Top shelf on the right." Chummy replied, trying not to burst into laughter.

"Thank you." Peter poured himself a double glass and escorted himself to the living room, Paul and Patrick joined him.

"I will never live this down." He said, taking a swig of whiskey.

The ladies began to set the table and prepare the rest of dinner, chatting and laughing as they did.

"Oh, Lizzy he may have to see a doc after that one!" Isabella said, putting down placemats.

"He lives with one!" Shelagh perked, filling the tea kettle.

"Bella Shelagh, Patrick and the kids live upstairs." Chummy replied.

"Oh goodness! That's right, sorry, Mummy brain!" Isabella said, putting her hand on her head.

"No worries! We put a Moses basket and a ready bed in your room for the kids." Shelagh said, taking up her other hand.

"Top of the stairs, third on the right sis." Chummy said, showing her to her room before dinner.

They ate and got acquainted with each other before retiring for Horlicks by the fire.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning The women were up having saturday tea, as the men and children slept in. Isabella dropped her spoon on the floor and went to pick it up, finding that she couldn't bend down that way.

"Dammit." She mumbled.

"Here let me." Shelagh said, removing herself from her seat and and continuing.

"I remember that feeling well with the twins."

She took an enormous gasp, letting her breath slowly return to normal as she rested a hand on her back. She almost didn't notice Chummy sliding out of her seat and kneeling at her feet.

"Bell, what's the matter?" Chummy asked, seeing Shelagh slide out oh her seat and walk upstairs after the second round of pain came.

"Not… Sure." She replied, grabbing her sisters hand.

By the time Shelagh came back Chummy had moved her to the settee, she walked in with patrick trailing behind her. Patrick had gave her the once over and examined her in only to find false labor.

"Braxton hicks." He said, looking up at his wife.

She could see the confusion on Bell's face and quickly spoke up.

"False labor Dear, baby is just being stubborn." She quipped, on a whim.

"Oh." Isabella said, her tone was soft and numb almost like she was on another planet.

The rest of the day went on as the pains faded away and Isabella was very quiet and spent most alone. She wrapped a quilt around herself and sat in the reclining chair on the garden tiles.

"Lizzy, what do I do? Shes so upset, and I can't make it better." Asked Paul, he sat at the table across from her as she pushed a cup into his hands.

"Nothing, one just needs be there and wait." Chummy replied, putting her cup in the sink, and walking out stopping for only a second to give him a pat on the back.

"I'll talk to her in a bit." She continued backing up to the doorway again before walking away.

"Lizzy, read to her. She misses it." He said, in a quiet tone.

She walked upstairs to Rose who was crying and took her into the garden room, where Shelagh was sitting with Angela.

"Poor thing is feeling poorly today." Shelagh said, in a quiet hushed tone.

"This one is just being a milk hog!" The two shared a laugh and sat looking out into the garden and seeing Isabella sitting on the stones.

"Is she okay?" Shelagh asked, thinking she probably shouldn't have asked.

"She will be, she's just disappointed. All of her children have came late." Chummy replied, not bothering to look up.

They went on with their day cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the children and men.

Chummy grabbed a blanket, two cups of tea and a small older looking book. She joined her sister outside and set on the reclining outdoor settee that her and Peter would curl up on many nights. She handed her a cup opened her book, no words were needed. She laid her head down on Chummy's shoulder and the two almost in sync curled up their legs.

Chummy had began to read in a soft quiet tone as the sun went down.

"_And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer."_

"I love that part." Isabella said, those four words were the first she had spoken all day.

"I know you do, I remember when Pa used to read to us in our teen years." Chummy replied, setting the book on her lap for a moment. The two gazed at the stars for a while before chummy picked up the book and began to read again.

"_There was so much to read, for one thing, and so much fine health to be pulled down out of the young breath-giving air."_

The two had dozed off after a while and no one had the heart to wake them, after all it was only half past seven, they agreed to wake them up around eight. Chummy woke to her sister grabbing her arm and seeing the blanket soaked.

"Lizzy!?" Although she didn't mean to she left a bruise on Chummy's peach like skin.

"SHELAGH!" Chummy yelled, into the house. Shelagh came running out.

"What i-. Oh, Dear!" Shelagh rushed over to the two sitting and they helped her up and got her to bed.

"Patrick, Would you mind bringing me one of your emergency kits, and your medical bag please?" Shelagh asked, in a loud tone from the top of the house.

Chummy smiled, at her sister holding her hand and trying to keep her calm.

Isabella was in great pain, more than she should be, enough to call Patrick.

"Shelagh baby is transverse." His tone tuned very dull and numb.

She shook her head and knew what she needed to do, just as she had before the words came out.

"Isabella, baby is misbehaving slightly. I'm going to have to turn the baby, its going to hurt but hang with me." Shelagh successfully turned the baby and was she was ready to push, Chummy sat right behind her as Shelagh delivered the little baby.

The baby was on the small side but healthy and happy and Isabella was doing just peachy.

"Welcome to the world… Amelia Denise Bates."


	3. Chapter 3

The laughs emerging from the sitting room could be heard for miles, for once they were a happy family. Nothing mattered that night, not money, clothes, or riches. They were just a family. A knock was heard on the door and Chummy quickly stood to her feet, she opened the door with a mighty "What-h-" she quickly shopped short.

"Pater… What are you doing here." Her voice turned quiet almost cracking with fear.

Isabella handed her daughter to Peter and quickly joined her sister at the door.

Their mother stepped in front of their father and sharply cut him off.

"We are here to retrieve ones daughter from this filthy hole you have put yourself in Camilla." Mater said, trying to push her way in.

"It's bad enough, you're here and have shamed us, but Isabella will not be influenced by you."

She snarled and the two walked past the girls in the house, they turned to face their parents like children being reprimanded. Chummy and Isabella joined hands and stood building their courage to talk.

"Come now children were leaving. You too Isabella." Mater said, taking Samantha's hand and walking to the door. Chummy reached out and grabbed her arm to stop her.

"You are going nowhere!" Mater turned quickly and met Chummy's face with the back of her hand, leaving her with a red cheek and tears in her eyes.

"Camilla!" Peter shouted rushing quickly to his wife who fell to the floor.

"MATER!" Isabella shouted, Mater popped her mouth.

"Do not shout at me! Now come at once." Pater stood quietly by the door.

"No Mater. One will not. This is home." Isabella said, taking Samantha's hand and shooing her behind her to her father.

"You will listen to me. We ARE leaving." Mater said, sharpening her tone.

"NO MATER! Peter is a Sergeant, he will tell you, you can't take me or my children!"

"This is true Lady Browne. And as this is my house you are not welcome. Please leave, or I will charge you with assault." Peter said, helping his wife to her feet.

"If you know what's best for oneself, then one will forget this and let the girl come with us." Mater said, scoffing as she did.

Peter was in uniform as he was now late for work, but that didn't matter to him he was working.

"Paul, Call Popular 459. Ask for Sister Evangelina and Trixie Sister Julienne if she can. Tell them we need medical assistance." Peter said, turning around to Paul and back to his wife. Paul did as he was told and they would be arriving as soon as they could get their bags together.

"Mater Get out of my house." Chummy said, Removing her hand from her face. She saw her father walk outside and get in the Rolls Royce, her mother didn't move.

"No, Dear. It's not that simple. She comes or I don't leave, I won't have my one good daughter ruined by filth." Mater was blunt and hateful now.

"I'm _NOT_ leaving!" Isabella said.

"Get out _Queen_ Browne!" Chummy said, stepping in front of her sister once again. Her sister was an inch shorter, but she had always been the backbone, now it was Chummy's turn.

Mater proceeded to slap her across the face once more, this time using her finger nails and drawing blood. Chummy hit the rail on the steps and Isabella rushed to her. Peter had more than enough, he pulled out his cuffs and that was that.

"Lady Fortescue-Cholomondely-Browne you are under arrest."

"Unhand me! You Hobknocking Bobby! How Dare you touch a high class woman!" She bellowed and hit him knocking him backwards.

"That is enough! Lady Fortescue-Cholomondely-Browne you are under arrest for assault and battery, slurring and assaulting a police officer! You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you." He escorted her to his police car and Sir Fortescue-Cholomondely-Browne stepped out of his car. Peter saw him and quickly spoke up.

"Sir she is under arrest and will be prosecuted."

Peter got in his car and drove her to the station where she was put in a cell and he returned to find the sisters and nurse Franklin patching up the girls.

"Camilla are you okay?" Peter took off his hat and knelt at her feet taking up her hands.

"One is not so sure." Chummy had a concussion from the rail, a black eye and seven stitches on her cheek. Isabella had a busted lip and a very swollen jaw, for this reason Doctor Turner was called from work and Shelagh was left to the surgery.

Sister Evangelina Piped up after the wounds were tended to. "Peter, Paul Please assist your wives to their beds, help them dress and I will bring up tea in twenty." She looked at the battered women and spoke in a soft but stern voice. "Tea, Bedrest, and I am putting you on district for one week. The day after having a baby and this happens, you need rest."

The two nodded and headed to their rooms, the men doing what they were told and Peter left them in the capable hands of Doctor Turner then headed to work to give his statement and charges. Chief Inspector Hale would be by to take their statements tomorrow, as they were both given Chloral Hydrate so they could sleep.

Lady Fortescue-Cholomondely-Browne was kept in cell 13 for the night and Sir. Fortescue-Cholomondely-Browne proceeded to leave his plans were unpredictable for the next day.


	4. Chapter 4

Peter woke his wife with a kiss before leaving for work, he walked out the door ever so quietly. Chummy rolled over and squinted at the clock, "_Half past five?"_ she thought to herself wondering why he left so early. She was still confined to bed rest, from her mild concussion. Isabella had a touch of postpartum anemia and was weak but she could get out of bed herself, Chummy on the other hand couldn't stand without getting dizzy or fainting.

Trixie and Cynthia came round twice a day, as to Sister Julienne putting them both on the nursing rota.

"I think I can take you off of the rota for everyday Bell, your anemia has controlled itself and all is well." Cynthia perked, turning on her heels to put a small bottle in her bag.

"What about Lizzy?" She asked, concern setting in her face. She hadn't seen Chummy in 6 days and it was slowly killing her.

"She will be fine in time, probably another week or so." Cynthia assured, taking hold of her hand.

"Well your eyes returned to normal again and your vitals are good." The two heard the door go and then footsteps coming up the hall.

"Knock Knock, just me." Patrick said, walking in with his bag. It had been routine that he would come home from the surgery for lunch and check in on her.

"I do believe if you can stand for a whole minute and take at least five steps, then you can be on half rest. Think you can?" Patrick asked, helping her sit up in bed.

"One can bally well try!" She quipped and with help stood up, he let go of her hands and she passed the minute test, now for walking the part she dreaded. She took two steps and wobbled but caught her balance and finished the rest.

"I did it!" She exclaimed, she was so proud that she did it and was ready to sit in the kitchen for breakfast, lunch and supper, not in bed.

"Okay Chummy, you have my blessing. Must dash though or the Mrs. will turn my hide at the surgery!" He quipped, and was off again.

She slowly walked down to the kitchen and took a seat at the table, being ever so quiet and not letting her sister hear her.

Isabella turned around and nearly dropped her cup.

"What are you doing down here!?" Her jaw almost hit the floor.

"Patrick gave me the okay, as long as I take it easy. No working." She said, in a soft tone and quickly lowering her head to her hands.

"Lizzy, Patrick left a bottle of spirit for me to use on those stitches, and a new bottle of aspirin for your head." She had made Chummy a cup and herself a cup of horlicks and sat down to join her.

"He said, they could come out day after trial." Isabella added.

"Speaking of… One feels bally awful that Mater is in a cell." Chummy had lifted her head and took a drink feeling her head pound as she swallowed.

"Yes, but after everything from our childhood, the scars from the belts and now this. She deserves it." Isabella felt awful, seeing her sister in this state. She began to weep when the two went silent.

"Bell what's the matter?" Chummy asked, reaching across and taking her hand.

"If only I would have gone, she could have hit me and not you!" She pulled, her hand away and tucked her knees up in her chair.

"Bell! No! Even Pater knows she needs to be there, this is his way out." Chummy realized she let her words slip.

"what?" Isabella asked, lifting her head.

"Pater doesn't love her, he was forced to marry Mater. She was pregnant with John."

"NO! Mater!? How?" She wiped away her tears, and sat up.

"I think we both know that Lizzy, but he has his way out now." She sighed, and stood up putting the cups in the sink.

"She can't hurt us anymore though." Said Isabella.

"Tomorrow is trial, how about a rest before everyone's home? And maybe some of that Aspirin." Chummy reached out her hand to Isabella and she quickly took it.

"Sounds wonderful."


	5. Chapter 5

They all got ready and and headed to courthouse, Patrick and Shelagh had decided to join them for support and left the kids with Mrs. Tourpe.

"Camilla Elizabeth Fortescue-Cholomondely-Browne-Noakes, Please join the stand." The judge had a harsh tone and scared her, but she nodded and slowly made her way to the stand.

"Do you swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" He continued, as she laid her hand on the bible in front of her and said, "Yes." in a soft tone.

"Isabella Mouriene Fortescue-Cholomondely-Browne-Bates, Please follow the same."

She did what she was told and was sworn in. They told everything that had happened and then the men did too. Patrick and Shelagh were shocked to hear what happened and their jaws hit the floor when Lady Fortescue-Cholomondely-Browne pleaded guilty.

"Lillian Martha Fortescue-Cholomondely-Browne, you have a sentence of 4 years in the Madeira prison, your charges remain at assault and battery, slurring, and assaulting a police officer . Neither of the girls had words to say, not even Pater could get her out of this one.

"Pater?" Isabella asked after seeing her mother taken in cuffs. "Will she be okay?"

"yes Dear, she can't hurt anyone anymore." Replied Rex, wrapping his arms around her and Chummy too as she walked up to them.

Chummy had her stitches removed that night and was utterly exhausted, her head began to hurt again and she was ready for the day to be over with.

Peter tucked her up with aspirin and a hot water bottle and took care of the children.

Isabella's time in Popular was almost up and she didn't want to leave.

"Paul, What if we moved here?" She asked, sitting at the vanity and brushing her long brown hair. "The house next door is nice, and very new. It's in budget too!" She continued.

"I think thats a marvelous idea, I have grown accustomed to it here. Let's not tell anyone, we can move in and surprise them!" He said, in a joyful tone, walking around the room trying to get the baby to sleep.

"MARVELOUS! We can go to the land office tomorrow!" Isabella was thinking about it and she liked it more and more with every moment that passed.

**_One Month later._**

"It seems as if we have new neighbors Dear." Chummy said, looking out the window and seeing boxes being taken into the white house.

"Lets take them Pie and mash from Lucy's." Peter said, she nodded and they set out to Lucy's. When they returned they knocked on the door of the larger white house and rang the Bell. The door opened and looking down at the bag Chummy began to speak.

"What-Ho! We are your neighbors The Noakes I'm Camilla but you can call me Ch-"

"Lizzy!" Isabella cut her off and began to laugh.

"What!? How?" Chummy was baffled to see what she did.

"We are the new neighbors! Surprise!" She exclaimed, and jumped up and down.

They all sat and had a cup of tea and then went for a walk down by the sea, they made sure that they knew where everything was in town, and that they were stocked and set to go.

Isabella became a midwife and by 1964 a nurse too. Pater divorced Mater and remarried a woman he fell in love with years later, when Mater did get out of prison she moved to Ireland and no one had any contact with her from then on. She shut herself off from all family and changed her name.

The women of Popular often got Chummy and Isabella mixed up, it was confusing to them so they got different colour glasses and rode home together almost every night. Being so close together was a blessing of it's own.

FIN.


End file.
